World Religions: Hinduism

Summary

The video script delves into Hinduism's core concept of samsara, the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, and its ultimate goal of moksha, spiritual liberation. It highlights Hinduism's inclusive nature, its lack of a central authority, and its diverse practices like yoga and puja. The Bhagavad Gita is discussed as a key text, offering various paths to moksha. The script also touches on the controversial caste system and Hinduism's pantheon of deities, reflecting its rich and colorful traditions. The influence of Hinduism extends beyond India, promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Hinduism identifies the major problem of humanity as samsara, the cycle of rebirth.
• 🌀 Samsara involves being reborn multiple times, which is seen as a problem rather than an opportunity.
• 🔓 The solution to samsara is moksha, spiritual liberation achieved by recognizing the unity of the self with the divine reality.
• 📜 Hinduism is noted for being the least dogmatic and most internally diverse among major faiths, often accommodating and including elements from other religions.
• 🏛️ Hinduism's origins date back to the Indus Valley Civilization around 2500 to 1500 BCE, with no single founder identified.
• 🧘‍♂️ Yoga in Hinduism is a discipline aimed at achieving the union of self and God to attain moksha.
• 📖 Important Hindu texts include the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita, with the latter being a key dialogue on the ethics of war.
• 🧬 The caste system is historically linked to Hinduism, despite modern efforts to dissociate from it.
• 🙏 Hinduism has a rich pantheon of gods, with major deities including Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and includes significant female divinities.
• 👁️‍🗨️ Rituals like puja are central to Hindu practice, involving offerings and the concept of darshan, a moment of seeing and being seen by the divine.

Q & A

What is the major problem of humanity according to Hinduism?

The major problem of humanity in Hinduism is the cycle of rebirth known as samsara, which involves suffering through multiple lifetimes of birth, death, and rebirth.

What is the solution to the problem of samsara in Hinduism?

The solution to samsara is moksha, which is spiritual liberation achieved by recognizing the unity of the human self with the divine reality, thus breaking the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

How is Hinduism described in terms of its dogmatism and diversity?

Hinduism is described as the least dogmatic and most diverse among major faiths due to its strategy of accommodating and including other religions, rather than defining strict orthodoxy.

What is the historical origin of Hinduism and its connection to the Indus Valley Civilization?

Hinduism's origin can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which dates back to around 2500 to 1500 BCE. It is considered one of the most ancient religions, with early signs of what would become Hinduism, although the concepts of samsara and moksha were not yet present.

What is the connection of yoga to Hinduism and its purpose?

Yoga is a discipline in Hinduism with the purpose of achieving union of the self with God, or moksha. It is related to the concept of 'yoking' the self to God to realize the eternal part of oneself and the eternal reality, known as Brahman.

Which religious text is considered the most important in Hinduism and why?

The Bhagavad Gita is considered the most important text in Hinduism. It presents a dialogue on the ethics of war and introduces the concept of achieving moksha through different paths, including renunciation, love of God, and action in the world.

How is the caste system linked to Hinduism and its current status?

The caste system is traditionally part of Hinduism, although many contemporary Hindus, especially in the West, are embarrassed by it and would like to see it abolished. However, it still persists in Indian culture and society.

Describe the pantheon of gods in Hinduism and the debate about its monotheistic or polytheistic nature.

Hinduism has a pantheon of many gods, including colorful deities like Ganesha and the multi-armed goddess Durga. There is a debate about whether Hinduism is monotheistic or polytheistic, with some arguing that all gods are aspects of one supreme God, while others see them as distinct entities.

What is the significance of the puja in Hinduism and its comparison to Catholic sacraments?

Puja is a central ritual in Hinduism involving offerings and the use of symbolic items like fire and rice. It is compared to Catholic sacraments in the sense that both involve the use of physical substances to connect with the divine, although in Hinduism, the focus is on sight and the intimate encounter of darshan.

How does Hinduism's fluidity between gods and humans manifest in its practices?

In Hinduism, there is a fluidity between gods and humans, as seen in the practice of darshan, where individuals can receive blessings and spiritual sight from both divine and human figures, such as the hugging saint Amma.

What is the influence of Hinduism in the world and its role in interfaith dialogue?

While Hinduism has largely been confined to India, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including Europe and the United States. Its history of inclusion and dialogue with other religions makes it a valuable example of how to engage in constructive interfaith conversations without compromising one's own beliefs.

Outlines

00:00

🔄 The Cycle of Samsara and Moksha in Hinduism

This paragraph discusses the fundamental concept of samsara in Hinduism, which refers to the cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. It is viewed not as an opportunity but as a problem that Hindus seek to escape through achieving moksha, spiritual liberation. Moksha is the realization of the unity of the human self with the divine reality, breaking free from the cycle of rebirth. The paragraph also touches on Hinduism's non-dogmatic and inclusive nature, its historical development, and the lack of a centralized orthodoxy or founder. It mentions the Indus Valley Civilization as a precursor to Hinduism, hinting at early religious practices without the concept of samsara and moksha but with elements that would later become part of Hindu beliefs.

05:02

📜 Hinduism's Textual and Ritual Traditions

The second paragraph delves into the textual and ritual aspects of Hinduism. It mentions the Vedas and Upanishads as important religious texts, with the Bhagavad Gita being highlighted as particularly significant due to its narrative on the ethics of war and its philosophical teachings. The Gita presents a dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna, discussing the duty of a warrior and the concept of performing actions without attachment to their outcomes. The paragraph also addresses the caste system's connection to Hinduism, a topic of controversy and debate, and acknowledges the persistence of caste in Indian society despite efforts to eliminate it. Additionally, it introduces the colorful pantheon of Hindu gods, the debate over monotheism versus polytheism in Hinduism, and the concept of a divine trinity consisting of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, along with the Great Goddess.

10:04

🙏 The Rituals and Symbolism of Hinduism

This paragraph explores the rituals and symbolism in Hinduism, specifically the puja, which is a central ritual involving offerings and the exchange of sacred food. It compares Hindu rituals to Catholic sacraments in their use of physical substances like fire and rice. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of sight and the act of being seen by the divinity in Hindu worship, known as darshan, which signifies an intimate encounter and a love exchange between the devotee and the divine. It also touches on the fluidity between gods and humans in Hinduism, where humans can embody divine qualities and receive darshan, challenging the Western concept of idolatry. Finally, the paragraph reflects on Hinduism's influence globally, highlighting its history of fostering constructive interfaith dialogues and its potential lessons for peaceful religious coexistence.

Keywords

💡Samsara

Samsara is a Sanskrit term that refers to the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound. It is a fundamental concept in Hinduism, signifying the continuous wandering through multiple lifetimes. The script discusses how this cycle is perceived not as an opportunity but as a problem in Hinduism, which practitioners aim to escape through spiritual liberation.

💡Moksha

Moksha is the concept of liberation from the cycle of samsara, achieving a state of ultimate freedom and unity with the divine reality. It is the ultimate goal in Hinduism, as described in the script, where one recognizes the true nature of the self and attains spiritual enlightenment, thus breaking free from the cycle of rebirth.

💡Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion in Hinduism, which involves cultivating a deep love and devotion to a personal deity. The script mentions that this form of yoga is connected to the broader practice of yoga in Hinduism, aiming to yoke the self to God, thereby achieving moksha.

💡Vedas

The Vedas are ancient Hindu scriptures that are among the oldest religious texts in the world. They contain hymns, prayers, and rituals and are considered the foundation of Hinduism. The script refers to them as the starting point of Hindu religious texts, evolving from ritual manuals to more philosophical and narrative texts.

💡Upanishads

The Upanishads are philosophical texts that are part of the larger body of Vedic literature and are considered the culmination of Vedic thought. They explore the nature of reality, the self, and the path to moksha. The script describes them as a transition from ritual manuals to philosophical texts within Hindu scriptures.

💡Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a significant Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It is a conversation between prince Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as his charioteer, discussing the ethics of war and the duties of life. The script highlights its importance in Hinduism and its teachings on action, devotion, and knowledge as paths to moksha.

💡Caste System

The caste system is a social stratification system that has been traditionally associated with Hinduism, dividing society into different levels based on one's birth. The script discusses the controversial nature of the caste system, its historical integration into Hindu society, and the ongoing efforts to overcome its limitations.

💡Trinity

In Hinduism, the concept of the Trinity refers to the three main gods: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Sustainer, and Shiva the Destroyer. They represent the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction, respectively. The script notes that while this trinity is a significant aspect of Hindu cosmology, Brahma is less worshiped compared to Vishnu and Shiva.

💡Puja

Puja is a Hindu ritual of worship, often involving offerings and the use of symbols to honor and connect with deities. The script describes puja as a central ritual in Hinduism, rich in symbolism and focused on the act of seeing and being seen by the divine, known as darshan.

💡Darshan

Darshan is the Hindu practice of having a sight or vision of a deity or a holy person, which is believed to bring spiritual merit and blessings. The script explains that darshan is about the intimate encounter and exchange of love between the devotee and the divine, highlighting its importance in Hindu devotion.

💡Inclusivity

Inclusivity in Hinduism is characterized by its ability to accommodate and integrate various beliefs and practices, rather than excluding them. The script notes that Hinduism has historically been non-dogmatic and diverse, incorporating elements from other religions and philosophies, which has contributed to its rich and varied nature.

Highlights

Hinduism identifies the cycle of rebirth, or samsara, as the major problem of humanity.

The concept of moksha, spiritual liberation, is the solution to escape the cycle of samsara.

Hinduism is noted for being the least dogmatic and most diverse among major faiths.

Hinduism's strategy of inclusion has led to its growth by accommodating various religious beliefs.

The lack of a centralized structure in Hinduism allows for a broad interpretation of orthodoxy.

Hinduism's origins trace back to the Indus Valley Civilization, predating formal religious texts.

Bhakti yoga is a significant practice within Hinduism, aiming to unite the self with God.

The Bhagavad Gita is a key text in Hinduism, discussing the ethics of war and the path to moksha.

The caste system is historically linked to Hinduism, despite contemporary efforts to separate the two.

Hinduism's pantheon includes a variety of gods, reflecting a polytheistic or trinitarian structure.

The concept of darshan in Hinduism emphasizes the importance of sight and being seen by the divine.

Puja, a central ritual in Hinduism, involves offerings and the sacred exchange between devotee and deity.

Hinduism's fluidity allows for humans to embody divine qualities, challenging Western monotheistic perspectives.

Hinduism's influence has been primarily within India, but it exemplifies inter-religious harmony.

Hinduism's approach to religious diversity can inform constructive dialogue across different faiths.

Transcripts

what Hinduism identifies as the major

problem of humanity and its solution

well the problem is this that we keep

being reborn so in Hinduism develops

this idea of samsara and what it's what

samsara means is wandering through or

flowing through and what you're

wandering and flowing through is

multiple lifetimes so we're born we live

we suffer we die and we're reborn and

that's seen to be not an opportunity

like it is for many who believe in

reincarnation in the West but as a

difficulty as as the problem and we want

to get out of that and we get out of

that through moksha which is spiritual

liberation recognizing the unity of the

human self with the divine reality

through some manner or method and that

sort of pops us out of this this cycle

of life death and rebirth and you say

that Hinduism of all the major faiths

that you study is the least dogmatic and

the most diverse internally that's right

because Hindus have had a strategy of

meeting with other religions and they've

met with so many of them over the years

by basically accommodating and including

them so instead of saying no you know we

have the one true God your God is false

they say yes and they bring them in and

so Hinduism over time just becomes

rather than getting sort of more defined

over against its enemies it becomes more

and more inclusive of them so as the

Buddhists arrive then the Hindus say oh

oh Buddha you know he's a incarnation of

Vishnu our our god Vishnu or oh here

comes Jesus oh he's an incarnation of

Vishnu also and there isn't a Pope there

isn't a Creed there isn't a sort of

centralized structure that's able to

define orthodoxy nor is there much

interest in defining orthodoxy and so

it's just this real big tenth of a

religion Hinduism now let's talk for a

minute about the origins of Hinduism

when can you date it from and I believe

it emerged in the Indus Valley of India

it goes back really far I mean it's one

of our most ancient

religions we have this this sort of

proto Hinduism or of a pre Hinduism

that's called Indus Valley Civilisation

that maybe goes back to something like

2500 to 1500 BCE nan before Jesus and

here we have sort of hints of the

possibilities of Hinduism we don't have

a sense of the idea of samsara and

moksha that I just described but we have

some female goddesses that may have been

worshipped we have some images of

possibly divinities doing something

that's like yoga we have animals that

seem to be sacrificed we have ritual

bathing we have some building blocks of

Hinduism basically and there's no like

one person you can name as a founder of

Hinduism like you could talk about

Confucius or Jesus or Mohammed or

something that's right it just sort of

recedes back into ancient turn ancient

or history we don't have a founder hmm

part of the title of this period though

is bhakti yoga and a lot of us connect

yoga with Hinduism and of course a lot

of people today use yoga for everything

under the Sun that doesn't have anything

to do with religion they do it for

well-being to lose weight for whatever

what's the connection of yoga to

Hinduism well Yoga is a discipline so um

the classic goal for yoga in each and

Hinduism and it is Hindu practice would

be to achieve that union of self and God

so it's related to the word yoke so you

yoke the self to God in order to achieve

moksha in order to achieve spiritual

liberation to realize the deathless

eternal part of yourself and to yo get

to the deathless eternal reality out

there which is which is Brahman mmm now

in terms of religious texts there are

the Vedas the Upanishads but the one

that's considered the most important I

believe in Hinduism is the Bhagavad Gita

which is you say a dialogue on the

ethics of war can can you talk about

that book

yeah so what happens at which to me is

fascinating in the development of

Hinduism as you move from scriptures in

the Vedas which are ritual manuals to

scriptures with the upon assad's which

are philosophical texts to stories to

epics and the tradition really now

becomes more of a narrative and

storytelling tradition and these are

massive stories like in the Mahabharata

which is the broader text that the

bhagavad-gita is a teeny piece of you

know these are many many times

over the length of the Bible and in the

bhagavad-gita what you have is a war

between two families and you have this

person Arjuna who's in the punt of a

family and he's about to go to war and

it's his duty according to the caste

ethics of Hinduism as a warrior to fight

but he realizes that as he goes to war

he's going to be fighting with his

kinsmen with his cousins and and he's

gonna have to kill them and and that's

not good you know so he's sort of caught

between two - duties and he gets in a

basically a philosophical discussion

with his charioteer who turns out to be

um Krishna this is a lovely thing about

Hindu epics iStent you never really know

who's who you know people can sort of

shape-shift and take different forms and

um visit this yeah it's fascinating so

anyway um and the argument becomes you

know fight and do the war says the

charioteer who is Krishna but don't be

attached to the fruits of your actions

in other words give them up to God and

it develops in this text a new way of

being a Hindu where you can get to the

the goal of moksha through a kind of

renunciation of philosophical Hinduism

but you can also get there by loving God

and you can also get there by action in

the world and so it opens up the Hindu

religious goal to all kinds of people

including warriors including everyday

housewives and husbands now is Hinduism

linked at all to the caste system in

India oh my gosh I get in so much

trouble about this I had had a little

fight in DC the other day with the Hindu

about this

um yes the answer is yes I mean you know

a lot of contemporary Hindus want to say

you know make this sort of culture

social religious distinction and say

well that's a cultural thing has nothing

to do with Hinduism and of course I've

had to say that to me

on this yet and you know it was banished

you know by the British um you know

hundreds of years ago and and but it

persists and if you're in India

everybody in India knows the caste of

everybody else I mean it's quite

astonishing so yes caste as part of

Hinduism it's something that Hindus in

the West are embarrassed about it's

something that intellectuals try to

banish but it has traditionally been

been a part of the of the religion and

it persists against the better judgment

of many Hindus it's something that's

still there in culture today and I think

it would be fair to say the majority of

Hindus do want to get rid of it well

they want to get rid of it but they

don't want their kids to marry outside

their castes oh okay so I mean that

traditional India well it's the

tradition in America - I mean my

students in my students at Boston

University are pretty much marrying

inside their caste hmm now the gods of

Hinduism there are many and they're

colorful in fact this is probably the

most colorful of all the religions that

you describe you know you have ganesha

who has the head of an elephant

you have the woman who's dancing with I

forget eight arms I think it is who are

these gods would describe that pantheon

if you will in Hinduism right let me say

quickly that there are many Hindus both

in America and in India who say there's

only one God in Hinduism hmm so there's

a fascinating debate about whether

Hinduism is monotheistic or polytheistic

on the surface it certainly seems to be

polytheistic because you have all these

gods and they they talk to each other

they fight with each other they tease

and trick each other they have these

fabulous epics written about them and on

that level of multiple gods there's

often I'm said to be a trinity where

there's Brahma the Creator Vishnu the

sustainer and Shiva the destroyer so

when when the world needs to be created

that's Brahmas job when the world needs

to be sustained that's efficient job

when the world needs to be destroyed

shivers job and remember this this

problem is master metaphor and Hinduism

of samsara

the wandering flowing through cycle of

life death and rebirth that applies to

human life but also applies to the

cosmos

so the world we're living in now was

created at one point but before that it

was created another cosmos was was

destroyed and previously created etc but

Brahma really isn't much worshiped in

India so you're not going to find a lot

of Brahma temples Brahma is a little bit

like the High God actually in Yoruba

tradition but also the God of deism that

sort of makes the world but doesn't

really have much of a job so the real

Trinity I think is really Vishnu and

Shiva and then the Maha Devi the Great

Goddess which is interesting that there

are female divinities in Hinduism that

are very important and this is one

feature of Hinduism that's very

attractive to to feminists mm-hmm now

there is also a fascinating set of

prayers and rituals in Hinduism and I

know that I visited an ashram that was

founded by a Hindu and I was at the puja

which is their I think their central

ritual and it certainly flourishes in

symbolism I can remember since I'm a

Roman Catholic myself I looked and I

thought my goodness Hindus are the Roman

Catholics of the east in the in the

sense of their use of symbols almost

sacramental kinds of signs can you talk

about the puja or the rituals of

Hinduism yeah that's an interesting

comparison I think there's something to

that I hadn't actually thought about

that so much in the sense that in

Catholicism you have sacraments that um

have to have you have to have stuff for

them right you have to have bread or

water or oil and similarly stuff is part

of Hindu rituals too right you have fire

you have you have rice that's given as

an offering and you know it's

fascinating if you go to a Hindu temple

they don't they don't have services

typically in the same way that you think

of oh you go to church at 11 in the

morning

temples are just open and you just go by

yourself with your family and you bring

an offering to the divinity and then

you're given something back so

and you'll bring food and then you're

given back this food that's kind of been

made sacred by the God and by the

priests my colleague Diana Eck at

Harvard has written this wonderful book

about Hindu puja into ritual what she

argues that what is really the core of

the the puja is actually sight in other

words that it's about seeing and being

seen in the word in Hinduism is dharshan

now that's not like going to a nightclub

to see and be seen because you're not

being seen by others you're being seen

by the divinity and you have this moment

of intimate encounter that is that

devotion that is the Hindu way of

devotion as I call it in the book where

you have this kind of love exchange

between the two of you and you mentioned

darshan there is a hugging saint of

Hinduism called Amma and she goes around

literally hugging people and she's

giving darshan that's what she says and

that's sort of a spreading of love or

compassion yeah that's right and you um

and she's sort of internationally famous

and I think that epitomizes the way of

devotion peace of Hinduism but it also

Pitta mised the fact that in Hinduism

you have a kind of fluidity between

who's a God and who's a human there

really isn't a distinction between the

self the Atman the the essence of the

human being and Brahman the essence of

God and since that's the case humans can

be gods of a sort you know the who to

whom you can go and have dharshan to

whom you can devote yourself in a way

and this makes especially Christians in

the West really nervous you know because

it sounds like idolatry right you're

worshiping how can you worship another

human being but humans can have that

capacity in the in the Hindu tradition

alright and finally how would you

characterize Hinduism's influence in the

world at large it has largely been

confined to India which is interesting

we have it in Europe we have it in the

United States we have it in Bali but I

think Hinduism is a wonderful example of

how to get along across religious

boundaries I mean the Hindus have been

because of their sort of standing at a

sort of crossroads

in the world and because of their

strategy of inclusion they've been very

good at cultivating conversations from

ancient times with Buddhists with

Muslims more recently and then with

Christians and Hindus are very good at

this and I think we can learn from them

how to have informed constructive

conversations across religious

boundaries without giving up our own our

own religious commitments along the way

stephen Prothero is the author of God is

not one